For some reason their internal organs were in complete disarray. It was not life threatening, it seemed only aimed towards a blood spurt.

The fog all gathered at Hal’s right hand and formed into a terrifying Blood red Broadsword, with deep black veins crisscrossing it’s one foot wide blade. The guard was a clenched skeletal fist, and it’s hilt was spiked.

The whole weapon shivered with fiendish might that sent bloodcurdling fear into the heart of all those present, including Kael who stared at the weapon and the one who held it with a gaze filled with dread.

Hal’s eyes were now a fiendishly blood red color, the cruel smile on his lips spoke volumes: Every single one of them would meet their end today for he would show no mercy. He had never being an overly compassionate person who would let some idiots with a death wish go and he was not about to start now.

One of the developments during the last week was the discovery of a Executioner, a Bloodline Armament, A Blood fiend Bloodline Armament to be more precise. This was definitive proof of his bloodline being of the divine status, however it also brought about questions after he discovered that Executioner was only one of the Bloodline Armaments in his body and yet his bloodline remained whole and was not an amalgamate of different bloodlines put together. Anyway…

Hal flexed Executioner as he stared the men down while Castor and the others simply stood by to watch. They would only get in their master’s way.

“So who’s first” Hal said and cracked his neck with his left hand

Kael’s face went from dread to outrage, as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists

“No one? Fine, I’ll choose” Hal said and dashed forward and in one fell swoop beheaded five raiders at the Energy sensing Realm but he was not done as he whirled through the ranks of raiders, hacking at anyone in sight but staying away from Kael.

His cultivation base remained the same but the pressure he released was stifling and terrifying.

“D-d-d-demon!!!” A raider yelled as Executioner whirled towards him

“Really, what gave it away? The Blood red eyes? Or the large demonic sword?” Hal smirked as he decapitated the raider and executioner drained it’s Blood essence to further the strengthening and advancement of his bloodline

He paused to digest it and then turned to face the rest of the raiders who were a mere shadow of the mighty force they used to be.

As they stared at Hal they despaired and did the only thing that made sense… They ran.

“Who said you could leave?” Hal said and pointed at them with Executioner, a blood red fog brimming with demonic energy extended from the blade trapping them all in place, for Hal to run into their midst to begin the slaughter.

Meanwhile, in Hal’s soul world…

…which remained as dark as ever, a red figure emerged from the darkness and laughed boisterously while spinning the tool in his hand that greatly resembled Executioner…

“I won, I won, Haha suck it you slut” The figure’s voice identified it as male as he continues to laugh and swing his weapon which in such a quiet place where he was Alone made him seem mad however the arrival of another pink figure with an outline that identified her as female would prove his sanity… For now.

“Stop shouting you idiot, he’ll ‘hear’ you” The pink figure cautioned with a sigh before she turned to fully face him

“And by the way, you cheated” she added in annoyance.

“Of course I cheated, what did you expect?” The red figure said with smugness

“If I had known cheating was in play, I would have used my means. And besides I won. He used Essence king much more than Executioner and if not for your ‘Call my name’ shenanigans he would have used my Armament first” The pink figure insisted

“Hahahaha, are you kidding me?, look at him go with Executioner, the boy is a natural” The red figure continued to laugh to the obvious annoyance of the pink figure

“Now, keep quiet and let me enjoy the show”

Back on the outside, Hal mused about the conversation he had just heard in his soul apace, finding it slightly humorous that the two had no idea he could hear them and he was also infinitely annoyed that the ‘Call my name’ debacle was apparently merely the result of a bet…

‘Grr, I’ll deal with it later’ he thought before he faced Kael, only to discover that he had taken advantage of Hal’s Lapse in concentration and was already running back towards the Auction House.

“A fitting place for him to die” Hal mumbled as he swaggered leisurely after Kael while dragging Executioner along.

The raiders sighed with relief as the Demon walked away, however their relief was short lived as Castor and the men with him swarmed them. Without the numbers or strength advantage, they fell easily.

…

Meanwhile…

Melinda stared at Brysen’s bulging physique and beast like behaviors with shock and Not confusion for she knew what was going on, however she had just not expected anyone in salmon city to know how to master them.

She suspected foul play.

Brysen ran towards her with rage all because Melinda had hurt his beloved aunt. He had even neglected the orders given to him not to use his Berserk Bear physique.

Melinda knew the most important thing was to halt his momentum…

“Third grade skill: Beetle shell” A beetle shell shaped wall of Cosmic Energy blocked Brysen’s path and he hit it head on, Any attempt to sidestep would result in the shield moving again to block the assailant. Once Brysen realized this he began to attack the sheild with the might of his physique

Melinda quickly said a quick word of thanks to Rita quietly while she prepared the next attack.

The fact that Brysen was able to acquire a beast physique and master it to the awakened level was a surprise however that was it. The physique was merely at the awakened level and she had total confidence of victory… At least she did before Adler began to show signs of life. She needed to take care of brysen quickly or else she would soon be at a disadvantage.

*Bang!!*

*Shatter!!!*

Brysen was free and he sent a quick wave of cosmic energy that Melinda was able to swat aside and she leapt towards him and their fist met in the middle

*Booomm!!!*

Brysen was knocked back so far that he hit the wall while Melinda slid a couple paces back.

Brysen’s eyes were filled with shock and outrage as he realized who had the upper hand in that short altercation.

Brysen could not believe it and readied himself for another strike one in which he would give everything he had and more. He was confident a little more effort would do it.

Poor Brysen did not know Melinda had held back the last time in hopes of guaging Brysen’s strength and putting him under the allusion that she must much weaker than him so as to make him lose his cool and quickly go for the kill, however she overestimated and did not reduce it enough leading to the previous result.

If there was one thing she had learned from Hal was to never show all your cards, allow yourself to be underestimated only then can you have the opportunity to properly strike down an unsuspecting opponent. It had soon become their philosophy.

So when Brysen ran forward she shook her head lightly and vanished from his sights and next appeared behind him with her hand around his neck

‘Too fast’ Brysen yelled in his mind before…

*Snap*

Melinda broke his neck and he fell to the floor lifeless, his look of shock ever constant.

“Nooooooo!!” Adler yelled as she was now in fighting shape only to find Brysen dead on the floor.

…

Meanwhile Hal strolled leisurely after Kael who had run into Saive auction house after resigning himself to the fact that he could not leave the Astral Energy isolated zone until the ones who put it up die or st least until they become completely exhausted mentally. This was a move Hal found stupid but a quick scan with Astral perception allowed him to observe Kael reach into a secret stash of astral runes which Hal could sense were all Rank 3.

When they came face to face, Kael said

“Please Let me go, I don’t have any grudges against you, this are just my private stash for protection, if I leave now I will never come back so I have to bring everything along with me”

‘well isn’t that smart?’ Hal chuckled mentally

“I thought you were going to take ‘Care’ of me”

“I don’t want to anymore” Kael said while shaking his head vigorously

“*sigh* well I really find you convincing and I have decided to let you go. Out of the goodness of my heart”

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Hal.. I mean great demon lord thank you” Karl said as he grovelled, if he could. he would have kissed Hal’s feet. The fear he felt when looking into those terrible blood red eyes shook him to his core

“Seeing your devotion and dedication, I feel so ashamed to speak my next words” Hal said

“Oh speak my Lord” Karl continued his bootlicking

Hal pinched his nose in false Dilemma “Well, you see I am the one sustaining the Astral Energy that isolates this whole estate and as such, to leave you have to kill me. You see the issue? Ah. Oh what a pickle”

“But my lord can’t you just let me go?” Karl suggested quietly

“I promised my companions that I will not let anyone out, are you claiming your Lord is a liar?” Hal yelled in apparent anger

Karl went white “No I wouldn’t dare”

“Very well, prepare yourself” Hal said and gave Kael no time to prepare himself for barely a second later he swung the broadsword…

*Thud*

… Kael’s head fell to the ground with a dull thud

“What an idiot. I did respect his bootlicking skills, it needed a little work of course” Hal sighed.

As Hal absorbed the blood essence of a peak Cosmic pearl realm cultivator and brought his own bloodline and flesh to new heights, a crackle sounded in the sky…

*Crackle!*

*Rumble!!*

“Oh I know that sound” Hal said and stretched out his Astral perception to view the outside

“*Sigh* Not this shit again”

*Boom!!!*

The lightning struck down bypassing the dome of Astral Energy but blowing apart the roof of Saive Auction House to strike down at the sinner!